Saving One of Their Own
by waikiki23
Summary: While working undercover at a senator's office, Jack finds incriminating evidence that may cost him his life. Can the others save him in time? *Now complete*
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own anything, wish I did. Thank you so much to Jennaya for being a wonderfula beta. Please read and review.**

"What do you mean missing?! SOG was supposed to keep an eye on him!" Bobby Manning yelled, throwing his papers across the desk. No one made a move as they watched their enraged co-worker ignite with the same emotions they were feeling. Bobby sat down at his desk heavily as Levi came next to him and placed a paw on his leg. Bobby started stroking the golden retriever's head softly as he stared at his computer.

"I know how you feel and we are going to get him back. We don't leave one of our own," Demetrius Gans said, trying to calm Bobby down. D was just as mad as Bobby was; in fact, everyone was mad. One of their own was missing and nobody had any clue where he was.

"I'm trying the GPS in his phone, he had it on while he was undercover. I am trying to triangulate it now," Tara Williams said, typing furiously on her computer.

"Let me know when you get something. We need to know what happened. Last we knew, Jack was doing okay in the senator's office. Something went wrong. Let's find out what did," D said, going back to his desk.

Myles slammed the phone down and looked at everyone, "I just got a call... ummm apparently Jack unearthed some pretty hot stuff at the senators office. A security guard remembered seeing Jack head to his car around 5:30 last night and drive off. That was the last time he saw him. I called Metro PD, they found Jack's car about a block from Capitol hill on Maryland Avenue."

"We can check surveillance cameras nearby to see what happened," Sue said excitedly.

Myles held his hand up to get Sue's attention, "Metro found marks from what looked like a scuffle. They checked the car and said it looks like someone planted a small bomb that made the car stop. Their not sure beyond that what happened."

"I have a location. Virginia Avenue, Triangle Park," Tara exclaimed, writing the address down and tearing it out of her notepad.

Bobby didn't hesitate; he, D, and Myles ran for the door, Bobby grabbing the slip from Tara's outstretched hand.

Tara, Lucy and Sue watched the guys run out the door. "I hope they find him," Sue said quietly. She was so worried about Jack. She wiped a stray tear away as she sat back at her desk.

The guys pulled up to the park and Bobby had the door open before Myles had the car stopped. They ran into the park, the three splitting up to search. Bobby was searching behind some bushes when he heard D yelling for him. He ran to the stairs near the front of the park. He was holding a cell phone with a handkerchief.

"Its Jack's. It was behind that trash can over there. Its still on. Looks like they just threw it out a window."

Bobby yanked his cell phone out of his pocket and began dialing. "Tara, he's not here. We found his phone. We're on our way back to the office. We need you to start looking at the surveillance footage from around the park. Maybe we can catch a break." He listened for a moment before saying, "Yeah, I know. We're on our way." He closed his phone as he got back into the car.

Bobby sighed before looking at the other two. "Tara said that the lab came back on the bomb that was on Jack's car. The bomb was small, but it released chloroform. Jack was gassed."*****

The first thing he became aware of was the pain in his head. _What hit me, a Mac truck? _He thought to himself as he tried to sit up. He started to panic when he realized that he was tied up and gagged. _What the heck is going on here? _

He looked around the room, trying to get his bearings. The room was bare, except for the chair he was tied to, a bed in the corner, a small overhead light.

_Must be in a basement or something like that. What happened? How did I end up here? I remember leaving Senator Tambalin's office on Capital Hill. After that, nothing._

Jack looked around again, trying to figure a way out of the small room he was in. His head was still hurting and he was worried.

_The senator had to have known what was going on. That's what this is all about! He knew what I was doing in the office the other day! I hope the team is able to find out what happened to me. _

He began to think of a way out of the predicament he was in, hoping that the team could find him soon.

***Inspiration for this part of the story came from _My Gal Sunday_, a story by Mary Higgins Clark. This was how Sunday was kidnapped. No copyright infrigement intended. Just liked that part.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to all who have been reading and reviewing. I am so sorry it has taken this long to update, as life has gotten crazy and I couldn't updated sooner. Thank you so much to Jennaya for being a great beta reader! And now, without further adiou...please read and review!**

Senator Kevin Tambalin was fuming mad. _Who in the world do they think they are? Do they know who they are messing with? _The senator was pacing his spacious home office in McLean, Virginia. His wife and kids were visiting her mother in Alexandria, Virginia for the weekend. Perfect timing, considering what he had in mind for the FBI agent that had almost screwed up his entire operation.

Making up his mind, the senator sat at his desk, picked up the phone and dialed a number. He waited for the person on the other end to pick up. The phone clicked in his ear. _"Hello?"_

"Don't talk, listen. I want you to meet me. The agent you kidnapped, I want you to make sure you keep him somewhere where no one can find him. The FBI is on to us. I'm going to look into what unit he was in and try to see what they have dug up on me so far. You need to stay low and do not let him get away, or you will be 6 feet under. Got it?"

_"Yeah. Normal meeting place?"_

"Yes, tomorrow 10:00 AM." The senator hung up the phone, sat back in his chair and sighed deeply. _Now__**,**__ how am I going to get the information I need on what they have on me?_

A plan began to formulate that put a huge smile on his face. He began dialing another phone number.

Sue was sitting at her desk, staring at her computer screen. She was so worried about Jack. He had been missing for over 24 hours with no trace of him. A single tear fell as she thought of the dark haired special agent that had come to mean so much to her. She brushed the moisture away as she thought about the last time they had been together alone, right before his undercover assignment.

_Jack had asked her to go to their favorite pizza place for dinner. After they had left the office, they walked together, talking like they always did. They got to the __**restaurant**__ and went straight to their__favorite table and sat facing each other. Levi lay contentedly at Sue's feet._

_They ordered their normal pizza_, one _half cheese and mushrooms for Jack and the other half pepperoni, pineapple and onion for Sue. _

_"So Ms. Thomas, are you going to miss me while I am undercover?"_

_"It all depends," Sue replied, an innocent look in her eyes._

_"Depends on what?" Jack asked, intrigued to know what she was thinking._

_"Are you going to miss Levi?"_

_Jack broke out laughing at her comment before replying, "Yes I'm going to miss him and you too."_

_All humor left her eyes as she got serious. She looked down for a moment, trying to regain her composure. Jack reached over and took her hand in his. Sue looked into troubled brown eyes, realizing that he was worried._

_"What's wrong Sue?"_

_"Please be careful Jack. You mean so much to me...I mean to the team, and we don't know anything about the Senator." She paused for a moment before saying again, "Please be careful."_

_Jack squeezed her hand before saying, "I will, I promise."_

Another tear fell down Sue's face as she remembered Jack's promise. _You promised me Jack. You can't leave me now._

She wiped the tear away as she noticed a commotion in the center of the bullpen. Bobby waved his hand to get Sue's attention.

"We have a little more on our friend theSenator."

"I didn't know he was our friend," Myles replied, dryly. Bobby smirked back at him.

"Apparently being a senator is his day job. Senator Kevin Tambalin is an arms and drug smuggler extraordinaire."

"Wow, senator by day, smuggler by night. What does his family think of all this?" Tara asked from her computer.

"They don't know. And no one would have known if we hadn't talked to Howie," Bobby replied as a small smile crept onto his face.

"How would Howie know?" D asked.

"Howie was approached by a small time petty crook by the name of Randall Kranz. Randall had heard of Howie's street smarts and connections and offered him a job. Randall had been approached by none other than Terrance Akers." The room was silent for a moment.

"Terrance Akers the arms dealer? The one Jack put away a couple of years ago? When did he come into the area?" Myles asked. Lucy's phone began ringing and she ran to **answer** it.

"He just got to town. Apparently he has been working with the senator for quite a while. But even though he has only been in town for a short while, he's already in hiding. Any takers as to why?" Bobby asked, waving a file in the air.

"Because he has Jack," Sue said simply.

Bobby pointed the file in her direction before saying, "Give the lady a prize. We think he has Jack and the senatorordered him into hiding. Jack must have uncovered something pretty hot at that office."

Lucy walked back over to the group and got everyone's attention. "That was SOG. They've been keeping tabs on the senator on the off chance he has Jack. They just found out the senator has a meeting tomorrow morning."

"What's so special about that? He's a senator; he has lots of meetings," Myles said, as everyone shot him looks.

"What's so special is that he is meeting Terrance Akers tomorrow morning at 10 am."

"Wow, didn't see that coming," Tara replied.

"I think we have a meeting to attend in the morning boys and girls," D replied.

Jack woke up, unsure of what was going on. He had been dreaming of a certain blonde haired agent when he heard a voice near him.

"Hello Jack. It's been a long time."

Jack's eyes flew open; he knew that voice. "Hello Terrance, it hasn't been long enough." He was rewarded with a backhand to the face. Being tied up, he couldn't wipe the blood he felt trickling from his split lip.

"Maybe you'll realize that I'm in charge this time, and there is nothing you can do about it. I'm going to make you regret that you ever put me away."

Jack tried to make himself look a little tougher than he felt at the moment before replying, "I just regret that I didn't put you away longer Akers."

The sudden explosion of pain in his head told Jack that he had just said the wrong thing. Stars were still dancing before his eyes when he felt the sharp blow to his stomach, forcing all the air out of his lungs. He began to gasp for air as he tried to catch his breath. He didn't have time to react as pain reached his addled brain again, this time from his leg; he could tell it was broken. Thankfully for him, his brain couldn't handle any more pain and shut him down. As Jack's world went grey, the promise he made to Sue came into his mind.

_I promised you Sue. I'm going to keep my promise to you. _Jack passed out, unable to fight his brain and body.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! I know it has been a long time since I have updated this story. If it were not for cjanff, it would have been longer. So, cjanff, thank you so much for your persistence for me to finish this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please read and review.**

"We have to get the Senator and Akers this weekend," Bobby said from his desk. The team had not rested all night, everyone trying to call in favors with informants to find out where Akers was holed up.

"Why is that?" D asked, standing and stretching.

"Because, the senator's family is gone for the weekend. He is going to do whatever it takes to silence Jack before his family comes home."

"I never thought of that. That's probably why he is moving so fast," Myles replied, tapping his pen to his nose.

"Exactly. That's why we need to make sure what we have on both is rock solid. When we stake out the meeting, we are going to record it so that we have that as evidence. We also will have the kidnapping against them. But we do need something else."

"What's that?" Sue asked.

"We need to know what Jack found in the Senator's office. That's the evidence we need," Bobby replied. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Makes sense. We will have to be careful though. Senator Tambalin is a higher up. He can get information from just about where ever he wants to. Even from our offices," Tara stated, reading from her computer.

"Then we'll keep this on the quiet side until we are able to rescue Jack," D responded, heading for the door. "I think we need to let Ted know the situation."

STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE

Darkness began to fade away as he slowly opened his eyes. The bright sunlight bored into his skull, causing him to screw his eyes shut and roll to his right. Almost immediately, the pain slammed him, causing him to feel nauseous. He felt the tears spill out from his eyes as the pain washed over him like waves.

As soon as the pain receded, he tried opening his eyes again, this time not looking at the sun. He realized that he was not on the bed but on the floor where Akers had left him the night before. He slowly dragged himself to the bed and had to carefully maneuver himself into a standing position. Slowly he sat down on the bed and propped his leg up. He could tell that his leg was broken in more than one place. The bruising alone proved it.

He had to come up with a plan. He knew Akers, knew what he was capable of. For him to be in league with the senator was a big thing. He hoped that the others would be able to find him and fast. Jack knew Akers meant what he said. That, until the team could find him, Akers would make him pay for being put into prison. Jack shivered, realizing it was not only from the cold, but where his train of thought was taking him.

STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE

Senator Tambalin walked into the café where he was meeting Akers. He looked around cautiously, making sure he did not have a tail. He saw Akers seated in the far corner and made his way to the table. He never noticed the attractive blonde woman and her dog seated at a center table, presumably reading the book she had in her hand.

Sue glanced over at the senator and the arms dealer, trying to read their lips, all the while the worry for Jack still overwhelming her.

She glanced down at the book, moving it so that it covered her mouth. She pretended to be reading it as she said, "They're talking about Jack. Akers is saying that he had a little fun with him last night, that he left Jack unconscious in the basement."

She shivered in silent rage. The way the senator and Akers were talking, it was as if Jack was just an animal. She shook her head to clear the emotion away and glanced back over at the two men.

"Oh no. They are going to kill him. The senator knows that Jack knows about his operation. He is saying that he wants to kill his operation here in DC and start somewhere else, after they dispose of Jack."

Sue glanced down at just the right moment. The senator, who was still a little nervous meeting such a high profile arms dealer in such a public place, glanced around the room again. This time he spotted the young woman with the dog at her feet. After watching her a moment and realizing that she was really engrossed in her story, he turned back to his tablemate.

She glanced up, noticing that Akers and Tambalin had both stood up and were heading out the door. As soon as they passed her, she said, "They are on their way out. I'll be out in a few minutes."

As she finished her coffee and held the book, Sue's thoughts wandered to her missing friend. Based on what she had just read, she knew that Jack's life was now in the balance even more. She began to pray silently, _Oh God, please be with Jack. Please protect him from further harm and please bring him back to us._

She glanced at her watch, realizing five minutes had passed, then stood. She gathered her bag and book, grabbed Levi's leash and left the café.

STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE

"So, thanks to our little sting, SOG is on both Tambalin and Akers. Tambalin got home a few minutes ago. SOG is still on Akers. He was at the store last time we heard from them. Sue, you did great in the café. We have the evidence mounting against the senator," Bobby said as Lucy grabbed the phone that was ringing at her desk.

"Thank you. I want to get these guys so bad," she replied, a bit forlornly, as she pet Levi's head.

"As far as we know, he has not changed anything in his business so far. But from what he said, that could change at any moment, and he'll slip through our fingers," D replied.

"Hey guys, that was SOG. Akers just got home. Here's the address, 1601 Crittenden Street NE. They said he was the only one to go in." Lucy said, standing in the middle of the bullpen.

Everyone jumped up from their desks, realizing that they were very close to finding their friend. Bobby grabbed the address.

"Okay, lets go. Myles, head to the courthouse, get a search warrant. Tell them an agents life is in the balance. The rest of you, let's go. We can be ready to get in as soon as we get the warrant."

Everyone nodded in consent before running out the door.

STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE

Myles pulled up a block away from the house to where the others were waiting to raid. "Got the warrant," he said as he climbed out of his car. He put his bulletproof vest on as he joined the group.

"Okay, lets do this, nice a quiet. We don't want Akers hurting Jack while we capture him." When everyone nodded in consent, he said, "Okay, let's move out."

The small group of six men cautiously moved to the house Akers had rented since he was released from prison. Half of the group took the front and the other half the back. On Bobby's count of three, they broke in the doors to the house.

"FBI!" was heard all through the house as they checked the rooms for the arms dealer or his kidnapping victim. All met in the kitchen, one door left, the one going to the basement. Myles counted to three then opened the door. As soon as the door opened, a loud bang from the basement resounded through the house. Myles, D and Bobby exchanged glances before clambering down the stairs.

They were not prepared for the horrific scene they encountered.

_A/N - I know you all are going to hate me for leaving a cliff hanger, bit I love to do it. _


	4. Chapter 4

**I would like to take a moment to those who have taken the time to review this story. I appreciate all the reviews, as they help me to keep writing. Because I got such a good response to my last chapter and because I left you with a cliff hanger, I felt I owed you all another update. So, here you go. I know its shorter than the others, but something is better than noting, right? Please read and review and I will try to update again soon. **

The three men ran down the stairs two at a time, coming to a halt at the bottom. They could not believe what they saw. Jack was lying in the floor, unmoving and a pool of blood beginning to form under him. Akers was sitting off to the side, his eyes open, but glazed over.

Bobby rushed to Jack's side while Myles and D ran to secure Akers as a prisoner. Akers had begun to stir, causing the two agent to move fast. They were able to handcuff him before he was aware of what was going on. As soon as he did however, he began to protest, loudly.

"You can't do this to me! I haven't done anything!"

Myles leaned down so he could be on eye level with the arms dealer. "You've done plenty, first and foremost, you kidnapped and harmed our friend and colleague. Not to mention, you are in league with one Senator Tambalin."

"You don't have anything on me! You can't prove anything!" Akers spat out.

"Oh, but we can. Stevens, Taylor! Take him out of here!" D said as Myles handing the prisoner over to the agents who had just come down stairs.

The three men concentrated on their downed teammate. Bobby had turned Jack over on his back, revealing just how bad the past two days had been on him. They could tell his leg had been badly broken, as it was bruised and deformed. He had large bruises covering his face, arms and legs. But the worst injury was the gunshot wound he had suffered in his chest.

Bobby had taken his jacket off and was holding pressure on the gunshot wound. D pulled out his radio to call Tara. "Tara, we need an ambulance. Jack's been shot."

Silence hung in the air for a moment, he knew so Tara could sign the news to Sue. "Roger that. We have one on the way."

"Thank you," D replied as he put the radio away before kneeling next to Myles. He looked over at Bobby. "How is he?"

"Okay so far. I think the bleeding is slowing," Bobby replied, pressing a little harder down on the wound. The increase in pressure elicited a groan from the injured man.

"Jack? Can you hear me mate?"

After a moment, a weak voice said, "Yeah, I can hear you Crash."

"How are you feeling?" Myles asked.

Jack grimaced in pain before responding, "Just great. What hit me? A Mac truck?"

"No, just a bullet. Ambulance is on the way. We got Akers, by the way." D responded as sirens could be heard outside.

"Thank you," Jack said softly, gritting his teeth to the pain that was in constant flow now, as footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. His world began to dim again, constricting to a pinpoint before going out all together as he lost the battle to stay awake and slipped back into unconsciousness.

STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE

The agents, plus one rotor made it to the hospital in record time, thanks to Bobby's driving in his usual manner. As soon as he parked, the other's jumped out of the vehicle and dashed for the Emergency Room entrance. As soon as they entered, Bobby made his way to the front desk.

"We are looking for Special Agent Jack Hudson. He should be here already. He had a broken leg and a gunshot wound."

"Oh yes, we were told to watch for you. Mr. Hudson is here, along with your friend who rode in with him. If you could follow me, we have a room for you and your team," the receptionist said, motioning Bobby to a door near the desk.

Bobby motioned for the others to come with him as the nurse met him at the door. They followed her to a room half way down on the right side of the hallway. She opened the door and motioned the group to go inside. There they found D already seated, waiting on them. The nurse wisely shut the door behind her as the others gathered around the weary agent.

"How is he D?"

"Did he regain consciousness?"

"Have you seen the doctor?"

"How are you?"

D raised his hands to silence the barrage of questions being thrown in his direction. The others sat down to give D a little breathing room before he answered them.

"Okay, the doctor did come in. They have already taken Jack to surgery. Apparently the bullet was still in his chest, so they had to remove it as soon as possible. Plus, they have to re-break his leg so they can set it back into place correctly. The doctor is supposed to come back to update us as soon as the surgery is over. Jack didn't wake up on the way in, which was a good thing because the bullet had apparently lodged in his lung, causing it to collapse. They had to put a chest tube in so Jack could breathe." D paused to take in a deep breath and noticed the shocked looks of his co-workers. "He's optimistic though."

"How are you?" Sue asked again, noticing the exhausted look on the man. She hadn't said much the whole ride to the hospital, terror threatening to bring her to tears. She was so scared that they were going to lose Jack, one of her best friends.

"I'm fine, just tired," D replied, leaning his head onto his left hand. Riding with Jack had been really unnerving for him. Hearing the calm frenzy of the paramedics when Jack couldn't breath scared him to death. When they reached the hospital, he was a bundle of nerves. Once he found out that Jack was still holding his own, relief washed over the senior agent, so much so that he slumped in his chair.

No one said anything, just sat in silence, holding a silent vigil for the dark haired agent who was upstairs fighting for his life.


	5. Chapter 5

Two hours passed before the doctor was able to get back to the FBI agents. He was weary, but felt compassion for the people camped out in the little room, awaiting news on their good friend. He cleared his throat, causing six heads to shoot up and look toward the door.

D stood up, motioning for the drained doctor to take his seat. He smiled in thanks as he dropped into the chair. He looked to the anxious faces of the group gathered around him.

"He is going to be fine. The repairs to his lung were simple enough and we were able to remove the bullet in his chest. His leg was a bit trickier though. We did have to re-break the bone in the areas where it was initially damaged. We then had to use screws to stabilize his leg. Unfortunately, this will mean his leg will need to be in traction for at least two weeks, until it has sufficiently healed enough for us to remove the screws. But, we don't foresee any complications at this time."

A collective sigh of relief was let out among the six team members. They had been sitting and worrying while Jack was in surgery. Bobby and Sue had been pacing, practically wearing a path in the carpet.

"Can we see him?" Bobby asked hopefully. Seeing his best friend lying on the ground covered in blood would forever be burned into his memories. He had prayed the whole time he was pacing the floor while Jack was in surgery. All he wanted to do was to see his mate alive and breathing. Then, and only then, would he be able to let go of the worry that had consumed him for the past three hours.

"Not at the moment. He is just coming out of surgery, so he is still under anesthesia. He is going to be out for at least another half an hour. But, as soon as he is settled in his room, we will let you see him. Then, one of you can sit with him tonight," the doctor replied, standing.

Everyone silently nodded and then turned their gaze to Sue. She looked a little startled before saying, "I can stay with him then."

"Okay. As soon as he is able to be transferred to a room, I will send a nurse to let you all know."

"Thank you so much doctor. We really appreciate it," D said, shaking the doctor's hand. Guarded optimism had replaced the unsettling fear that had gripped the occupants of the room. Now, they could breathe easier than before, knowing that Jack was going to be okay.

STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE

Sue pushed open the door to Jack's room. Everyone else had already been in to visit and since she was staying for the night, she had waited until everyone else had gone. Truth be told, she wanted to see Jack alone, without prying eyes or ears. She had truly been worried about him, and she needed the time to talk to him to sort her feelings out.

She entered quietly, not wanting to wake Jack up if he was asleep already. She sat down in the chair nearest to the bed, Levi laying down at her feet. She started when looked up and realized Jack was watching her.

He had been laying awake in the bed, waiting for Sue to come. He wanted to talk to her, to hold her hand, to see her smiling face again. While he had been kept prisoner, visions of this blonde haired woman kept him going. When Akers had come back to the basement and had tried to kill him, he remembered his promise and did all he could to keep it.

"You're awake? I figured you would be asleep by now," Sue said as Levi got up and nudged Jack's hand. He began petting the golden retriever on his head.

"Nope, I was waiting for you to come in. I wanted to talk to you," Jack said, smiling at Sue.

She blushed as she glanced down. "I was really worried about you. When Bobby told us your were missing, I thought my whole world was going to come crashing down."

When she didn't look up, Jack tapped her knee. Once she glanced up at him, Jack began to voice his emotions and feeling that were beginning to spill out from the barrier he had kept them behind, "I am so sorry Sue. I know you were really worried. I was too. I was worried about what would happen if I didn't make it out of that basement alive. I had promised you that I would be careful and come back to the team."

"I thought about that too," she replied, blushing anew.

Jack noticed, wisely saying nothing, but just smiling at the beautiful woman sitting next to him. New emotions began to well in his heart, ones that were lying dormant until just this precise moment. Ones that he could not deny any longer.

"Sue, while Akers held me captive, I could really only think of one thing."

"What was that?" she asked shyly.

He took her hand into his before replying, "You. I thought of you the whole time. You kept me fighting."

She could not believe what she was hearing. Jack had thought of her while he was captive. "But why me Jack?"

He smiled fondly at her as she gazed at him. "Because, you have always believed in me and you care what happens to me. Not that the others don't, I'm not saying that. Its just, I don't know how to say this. I really like you Sue. I didn't realize just how much until now. I have always liked you more that any other woman I've known. I just think you had the right to know how I felt."

She gripped his hand a little tighter as she reflected on Jack's confession. She beamed him a smile so bright, Jack was sure it could light up a whole room. "I really like you too Jack. I have liked you since that day in the cafeteria, when you ate lunch with me. When you had the heart attack, I was so scared I thought my heart would stop that night. Then when you were shot at that farm, it materialized the feelings I had for you. But I knew we could never act on them, so I tried to bury them. But when you were kidnapped and then when D told us you had been shot, I vowed I would tell you exactly how I felt about you."

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sue liked him too! He was so happy that he and Sue had talked. He knew he was the luckiest guy in the whole world. But exhaustion began to over take him, as he had not slept since he come out of the anesthesia. He looked over at the woman who held his heart.

"Sue, I really need to sleep. I am so tired, I can't hardly keep my eyes open. We do need to talk some more. Can you come by tomorrow?"

"I was elected to stay all night with you, so whenever you want to talk is fine with me," she replied, smiling broadly at him.

Before he knew what he was doing, he leaned over as carefully as he could and kissed her unsuspecting lips. Thinking and reasoning left her and passion took over as she reciprocated the kiss. A moment later, he pulled back, unsure of why he had just done what he did. Whatever the reason, Sue had been okay with it.

Neither said anything as they intertwined their fingers, Sue's head leaning on his chest as they fell asleep.

STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE

Morning dawned clear and bright, the sunlight streaming through the window of Jack's hospital room. Sue was the first to stir, as Levi was nudging her. She knew why, he needed to take a walk. Carefully she sat up and unlaced her fingers from Jack's. Thankfully he never woke up as she left the room and walked Levi to the end of the hallway. As she and her faithful companion waited patiently for the elevator, she thought back to the night before. She knew it had not been a dream. However, reality came crashing down when she realized that she and Jack could not date while being in the same unit. A sense of sadness washed over her. Here she had found the one guy who loved her for the person she was on the inside and didn't care that she had a physical defect on the outside.

The doors opened, the car empty and she and Levi got in. They rode the whole way down uninterrupted, then walked outside the hospital. As she and Levi walked, she weaved a castle in the air, a dream of a possible future. One that included a certain dark haired special agent who was lying in a hospital bed at the moment.

This dream made her smile to herself as she and Levi headed back into the hospital. They made their way back to Jack's room to find the whole gang already there. The dream she had been weaving was pushed back while reality took over.

The others turned to the door when they heard her come in. Tara and Lucy had grins on their faces as she made her way to an empty seat, conspicuously next to Jack.

"Glad you could make it back Thomas," Myles said, handing her a coffee. She gladly took it and sat down

"We were just telling Jack that the Senator has flown the coop," D said. Sue's face registered shock as he continued. "But we now have a warrant out for his arrest. Seems Akers is willing to spill his guts to get a lighter sentence. Seems the senator was heading into bigger waters."

"Yeah, that's what I found before I was kidnapped. The senator was making his move to get in with the big Mexican drug cartel. In fact he was one of their top supporters. I was coming back to the office with evidence of his involvement when it all hit the fan," Jack replied.

"Well, that is on his head too. We hope to catch him soon," Bobby replied, muted rage on his face. Everyone knew how protective Bobby was. If you hurt one of his friends, you hurt him too. No one wanted to be in his way when the senator was apprehended.

"I want to thank you all very much for rescuing me. Without you guys, I may not have made it. So thank you," Jack said sincerely.

"No problem. Without you Sparky, life would be boring," Bobby said as he stood up. Everyone else chuckled then also stood, as they needed to go back to work.

"We have to get back to the office Jack. Some of us need to work," D said, giving the injured man a hand shake.

"Thanks a lot," Jack replied grinning. He stopped Sue before she could leave. "Could you stay for a few minutes?"

Sue nodded as the others left the room. As soon as they had gone, she sat down next to Jack again.

"Did I make you uncomfortable at all last night? Because if I did…"

"No, actually, it was quite the opposite. I had time to think this morning Jack when I took Levi for his walk. All I could see was you. You were in my dreams. But how we are going get around the no fraternization code at the bureau?"

Jack took her hand before replying, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. D came in about two minutes after you left. Apparently, John Kent and Abigail Tripp from fraud wanted to date. The higher ups looked into it and the no fraternization code is gone."

Sue's face brightened considerably as she gazed at Jack. She couldn't believe it. Team members within a unit could date now. Tender dreams began to take root again in her heart and mind.

Jack tapped her on the hand and she looked over at his smiling face. "Sue, would you like to go out with me, after I get out of here, on a real date?"

The answer he got blew him away. She leaned over and kissed him earnestly, two years of hidden emotions spilling out in their embrace. They both knew that this was a new beginning for them.

They pulled back, a bit breathless. Sue smiled before saying, "I hope you know this is yes to your question."

"Oh yeah," Jack replied, tenderness conveyed through his eyes and smile. He knew all was right in the world again. Although the senator was still at large, this, this felt right.

What Jack, Sue and the rest of the team didn't know was that Jack's room was being watched. _I will get you Hudson. Make no mistake about that. You may be happy now, but I will have my revenge_, the figure thought to himself as he shrank into the shadows. Stealthily, he left the hospital, a malicious grin on his face.

_A/N - No this is not an ending to the story; there will be only another chapter or two. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to add some tender moments to this story. Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so here is the chapter you have been waiting for. Thank you so much to cjanff for all the PM's and reviews. I tried to get this up sooner, but my life is a little crazy right now. I have to be out of my apartment in less than 2 months. Thus the delay in this chapter, as I have been apartment hunting. So, there will probably be one more chapter before the end. Please read and review.**

Jack was sitting up in bed, watching the steamy soap opera that seemed to be the only thing on during mid-afternoon. He sighed disgustedly as one of the characters claimed to be in love with the sister of his wife. _Why do people watch this trash? _he thought to himself as he turned the TV off and pushed it away from him.

As he pulled out a magazine and his cell phone, his attention was diverted as the door was slowly pushed open. He tossed the journal aside on the bed before saying, "Thank God one of you came to…what are you doing here?" His original question was lost as the shadowy figure stole into the room.

Senator Tambalin eased the door shut silently behind him as he made his way into the room, the gleam of metal in his hand aimed at Jack. The injured man tried to sit up straighter in the bed, his leg not allowing him to. He could not believe the senator had the audacity to come to his room in broad daylight. He watched as the wanted man closed the curtains and turned his attention back to him again.

"I am here to finish some loose ends, ones my associate was not capable of handling on his own."

"Well, it wasn't for a lack of trying. He almost succeeded," Jack replied, shifting his weight in the bed. He had been hoping the senator would have laid low or skipped town all together. He realized how desperate the fugitive really was to be showing up in his hospital room. "What I don't understand is why you had Akers kidnap me in the first place."

Senator Tambalin shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his gun never wavering as he said, "That is because Akers wanted to exact his revenge from you for putting him in jail. I decided to let him have his fun, and now I regret that I did. Idiot bungled everything, leaving me to take care of it. Well, I am going to take care of it, then I am disappearing for good."

He moved closer to Jack, aiming the gun for his chest. "Say your prayers, Agent Hudson."

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the room.

STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE*STFBEYE

"I think Jack will be surprised to see us," Lucy said, rolling a tote behind her, filled with car magazines, a DVD player and action films.

"I think he'll be excited about the DVD player. I'm sure soap operas are not his favorite things to watch," Bobby replied, carrying a take out bag from Slappys. He knew a good sloppy joe would perk his mate up.

"I would say he is bored right about now," D replied, walking behind Lucy. They had all gone in together to get boredom-busting stuff to keep their injured co-worker busy while he was immobile.

"I would be too if I was in traction," Myles replied walking beside Tara. All of them hoped to cheer the injured agent up.

Sue was walking behind Bobby, Levi trotting beside his owner. She had a small smile on her face, one that had been on there ever since her last kiss with Jack. She knew her heart had taken over. She loved the dark haired special agent, and nothing would ever take her away from him.

They left the elevator and began walking down the hallway to Jack's room. As they neared the room, they heard a loud bang. Sue looked startled when Bobby, D, Myles and Tara pulled their guns out. Lucy turned toward the confused Sue and said, "It sounded like a gunshot."

D pulled Lucy and Sue into the nurses station and pulled them down below the desk. "Stay here until one of us comes to get you guys," he said, standing and covering the other three as they edged their way to Jack's room.

The four agents eased their way to the door, Bobby and Myles in the lead. Myles put his hand on the door and eyed Bobby. When the Aussie nodded, Myles shoved the door open, the agents rushing into the room.

They were shocked to say the least at what they saw. The senator was on the floor, a shot to his chest and struggling to breathe. His gun was a few feet away, having been kicked away by Jack.

D and Myles kneeled next to the senator, Tara running out into the hallway to get help. As the nurse and Tara hurried back in, Bobby made his way over to his friend.

Jack was standing next to the bed, leaning on his good leg, his gun pointed at the senator. His bad leg was barely touching the ground and shooting pain from when he had kicked the gun away from the senator. Bobby grabbed his friend as Jack began to sway from being upright for too long.

"Okay mate, lets get you back to bed," he said, helping Jack ease back into the hospital bed. Bobby watched as a gurney was brought into the room by two orderlies and followed by a couple of nurses and a doctor. Two orderlies picked the injured senator off the floor, one of the nurses helping with the transfer. They rushed out, the doctor running beside them as they rushed the senator down to the emergency room.

One of the nurses stayed behind to check on Jack, who was still sitting up in the bed. As she helped ease him back, she checked him over. "Agent Hudson, are you in any pain?"

"Yes, my leg. The rest of me is okay," he replied, leaning back against the pillow. The pain was more intense than he wanted to let on.

"Okay, everything looks okay, so I will be back with some pain medication," she said, leaving the room.

As soon as she left, the rest of the team entered. "Are you okay?" Sue asked, worry etched on her face. Crouching underneath the nurses desk had been emotionally unnerving for Sue. As soon as D gave them the all clear, she had practically ran into the room.

"My leg is sore, but besides that, I'm okay," he said, shifting as the nurse came in with his medicine. He took what was given him with a drink of water, then laid back as she retreated out the door and shut it behind her.

"What happened in here?" D asked as he sat in a chair nearest the window. When he had heard the shot, he thought for sure Jack was dead. He didn't know how many more scares his heart could take. But now he was vastly relieved.

"The senator snuck in here and held me at gunpoint. He told me he was going to take care of some unfinished business, namely me." Jack replied, glancing at his team mates. He was more relaxed now that the threat was no more.

"What happened next?" Myles queried, opening one of the curtains. Bright light streamed into the room.

"I pulled my gun before he could fire a round. I had to jump up, which wasn't such a good idea. I still can't believe he had the gall to come in broad daylight."

"Well, it was a good thing that we were coming to visit you," Tara said as Lucy pulled the tote into the room. She handed the DVD player to Jack.

"What's this?" he asked, taking the player and DVDs being handed to him.

"We figured you had had it with soap operas and shows like that, so we decided to bring you our boredom busting kit. And some real food, not hospital food," Bobby replied, grinning.

Jack began riffling through the DVDs. "Wow, the Matrix, Fast and Furious, the Bourne Trilogy! This is awe…wait, who put 27 Dresses and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in here?" he asked, holding the two DVDs up.

The room erupted in laughter as all eyes turned toward Bobby, who was laughing uncontrollably. Jack tossed the offending titles to his friend before saying, "Well, thank you. I appreciate the thought. This will definitely be of some help."

D stood and shook hands with Jack. "We'll be back. We need to let you rest and check on the senator."

"Let me know," Jack replied as Myles and Bobby stood as well.

"Take care mate." Bobby had been sure he had lost his best friend when they heard the gunshot. Seeing his friend alive and well definitely helped to allay the fears he had had. The girls stood as well, walking behind the guys.

"Sue, could you stay for a couple of minutes? I need to talk to you," Jack asked, giving Sue a look that the others couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Sure Jack," she replied, sitting next to his bed as the others left the room. As soon as the door shut, he leaned over and kissed her. Emotions from the afternoon burst forth in unbridled passion. It just felt right to him and to her.

A few moments later, they broke the kiss, breathless. "That was intense," Sue said, pushing the hair out of her face. She had never been kissed like that before. But it was one she would never forget.

"Yeah, I know. I'm so glad you stayed," he intoned in a slightly deeper voice. He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Me too," she said, blushing furiously. "I was really worried about you when Lucy told me that they heard a gunshot. D pushed Lucy and I under the nurses desk. Since I couldn't hear anything, my thoughts raced through my head. But I am so glad you are okay."

Jack flashed her one of his dazzling smiles before saying, "I was scared too. But your image kept me going. You will always be in my heart."

Sue looked down before saying, "And you will always be in mine Jack."

He slid over on the bed as best as he could and motioned for Sue to sit beside him. Noiselessly, she got up and sat beside the man who had stolen her heart. The sat together in silence for a few moments, Jack's arm around her shoulders, his other hand tracing circles on her hand. Sue watched him in fascination.

Finally, he tilted her chin up so that she was looking him in the eye before saying, "I love you so much Sue Thomas, and I always will."

"I love you too Jackson Hudson," she replied, leaning in slightly. She hoped that Jack would kiss her again, longing beginning to form in her, a feeling she had never felt before. Jack didn't disappoint her; he leaned the rest of the way and kissed the woman of his dreams.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry it has taken this long to update, but I had writers block. I hope you enjoy this final chapter! Please read and review!**

_Two months later…_

"He's coming! He's coming!" Lucy yelled, running into the bull pen. The others scrambled into position, holding a huge banner between them_._

The next moment, Jack walked through the open door. "I'm back! What the…?" he exclaimed, back peddling a step. He was overcome slightly with emotion to the homecoming he was receiving. However, he regained his composure quickly.

"We wanted to surprise you mate," Bobby said, pulling Jack closer to the rest of the team. There were two boxes of donuts and balloons behind the desk. Bobby, for his part, was ecstatic to have his best friend back at work. It had been a long two months for him, especially since he had to work with Myles most of the time.

"Thank you," was all Jack could say; he was too stunned to say anything else. Bobby guided him to his seat as Myles opened one of the boxes of donuts.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been wanting one of these." He held up one and said, "Jelly filled." Some of the jelly dribbled onto his tie.

The others laughed before digging in themselves. Sue had grabbed two, one for her and one for Levi. After giving the dog his, she turned to face the source of her affections. To Sue, the past two months had passed relatively quickly. She and Jack had met for lunch most days. If they were unable to meet, the text messages flew between them. They had grown closer in the past two months than they really had over the past two years.

Jack raised his donut to her in a toast, and she reciprocated the gesture. He was so relieved to be back at work again, especially since it meant he and Sue could see each other most every day without sneaking around. Considering that he and Sue had started dating while Jack was in the hospital, he was happy as a clam.

The others didn't miss the affectionate glances the two were passing each other. Lucy nudged Tara.

"I wonder if they are seeing each other?"

Tara downed the rest of her donut before saying, " I don't know. But she has been going to lunch by herself most days."

Lucy turned and sat on the edge of Jack's desk as Myles, Bobby and D jumped into their conversation. "Well, I think Ms. Thomas and our esteemed colleague would make a great couple," Myles said softly.

The others looked at Myles, realizing he had voiced what they all had just been thinking.

Jack cleared his throat, causing the others look up guiltily. He smiled at the faces of his co-workers. _Sue had them pegged._

"Sue and I have something we would like to tell you all. Sue, you do the honors," Jack said, sweeping his hands toward the group.

Sue smiled and replied, "No, you can tell them."

"After you, my lady."

"No, no, after you…"

"Will one of you please tell us what is going on?" D asked, smiling at the exchange. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Well, Jack and I are dating," Sue said, a slight blush creeping onto her face. The others glanced at each other before looking at Sue and Jack. Jack had wrapped his arm around her shoulder and the two were grinning broadly.

"When did this happen?" Bobby asked.

"When Jack was in the hospital. We drew, ah, close, while he was in there," Sue replied, the blush deepening on her cheeks. She had kept their relationship secret for the past few months, not even telling Lucy or Bobby. They had wanted to make sure it was what the both of them wanted.

"Are you kidding me?" Lucy queried, disbelief playing across her face. When Sue glanced over at Jack, Lucy then answered her own question, "Your not kidding me!"

"So, how serious is it Sparky?" Bobby asked, grinning broadly. All he had ever wanted was for Jack and Sue to get together. He was glad they now had the chance to explore their relationship. His thoughts were beginning to turn to a certain blonde haired computer tech that was beginning to take his heart.

"Very," Jack replied, a blush creeping up onto his cheeks. He still couldn't believe that he and Sue were dating; it was all like a dream to him.

"I can't wait to hear all about it tonight," Lucy said, smiling. She was already planning a girl's night in; movies, popcorn and chocolate. Enough to have a girl talk.

"Can we get back to work now?" D asked, smiling. He was also glad that Jack and Sue were together. He predicted that others would begin to date in the very near future. But, now that word was out, it was time to get everyone back on track.

"Yes, we can," Jack replied, heading to his desk. He was glad that D was taking the spotlight off of him and Sue. He was embarrassed with all the attention and he could tell Sue was too.

STFBEYE STFBEYE STFBEYE STFBEYE STFBEYE STFBEYE

Later on that week, Jack and Sue left for a quiet lunch, just the two of them. They went to a little deli around the corner. As soon as they ordered their lunch, they sat down at a table near the back.

"So Ms. Thomas, are you glad the others know about us?" Jack asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Yes, in a way. But you know what? I did like it when it was just between the two of us," Sue replied.

"I know. But at least we don't have to cover what we are doing. Now we can be open with our relationship."

"That's true. So how do you feel about all of this?" Sue asked. She reached a piece of her sandwich down to Levi.

"I'm relieved. But I do agree with you. I enjoyed our little secret trysts."

Sue blushed as she and Jack finished their lunches. When they had thrown their trash away, they exited the restaurant.

Jack took her hand and turned to face Sue. "We have a few minutes before we go back to work. Do you want to take a stroll through the park with me?"

"I would love to," Sue replied. The two of them began a leisurely walk through the park. Sue was admiring the beauty of the cherry blossoms, and Jack was admiring the beauty that was walking next to him.

As they rounded the next bend, it opened to a beautiful clearing, with a white gazebo in the center. It was laced with red roses growing up and intertwining with the posts to form a picturesque setting. It literally took Sue's breath away. Jack lead Sue down the path and into the beautiful gazebo.

Jack lead Sue to the center of the little building and turned to face her. "Sue, I have loved getting to know you even better these past few months. You have been the only woman I have truly ever cared about." Jack suddenly went down on one knee, startling Sue. Tears of joy began to fill her eyes. She couldn't believe what was happening.

"Susan Marie Thomas, will you marry me?" Jack asked, pulling out a small blue box. He opened it to reveal a solitary diamond ring.

"Yes, yes, I will marry you Jack," Sue replied, the tears spilling over as Jack slid the ring onto her finger. He stood up, taking Sue into his arms. Jack leaned in and kissed Sue passionately. It was as if time had stopped just for the them and they were the only two people in the world.

When they pulled away a moment later, Sue was still wiping away tears from her eyes as Levi pawed at her hand. "Yes, I'm taking you in too, you mutt," Jack said, scratching at the golden retrievers head.

Hand in hand the two walked the rest of the way through the park, Levi trotting beside Sue, bringing them back to the FBI building.

Before they crossed the street, Sue pulled on Jack's hand as and evil smile played on her face. "You know, we could keep this from them."

"You are an evil woman, Ms. Thomas. I like that in you. But, I believe we owe it to them to tell them as soon as we tell our parents." Jack was grinning.

"Sounds good to me," Sue replied as the two, plus one dog, crossed the road to the J Edgar Hoover building As they entered the building, a quote popped into his head, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Today was one of those moments that took his breath away. And he always would cherish it for the years to come.

**The End**


End file.
